Never Wanted to Leave Thailand Past Review
By Craig T (Political Science, University of Maine at Orono) for
USAC Thailand: Chiang Mai - Southeast Asia Culture, Politics, and Business
It has made me more open to work abroad, particularly if it were a humanitarian organization.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Chiang Mai University |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload was consistent with my work at home university. The grading system was more relaxed. My professors spoke English. We took several field trips. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Everyone who worked the program was very helpful. They arranged field trips for us. They were very knowledgeable and kept us all out of a lot of trouble. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
We lived in a hotel. We had cleaning services, hot water, air conditioning (which was huge). |
| * Food: |
Eat everywhere. The food carts are cheaper than the restaurants, and often more delicious. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I went to Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam. Phuket and the southern islands were amazing. Rode an elephant, played with wild monkeys. Drank snake whiskey. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
My program, Universities Study Abroad Consortium, provided us with health care. I was vaccinated for hepatitis A, and given medication for malaria, but they were precautions. Sometimes the food from the carts is not safe. Chiang Mai is a relatively safe city in Thailand. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
You have plenty of opportunities to practice the language. People that worked restaurants spoke English. Most other people except for those directly in our program did not. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Go to Thailand. It's warm, exotic, beautiful, unforgettable. |
